The cost of a basic funeral has fallen 2.5% year on year to £3,953, according to SunLife’s latest Cost of Dying report. But since 2004 there has been a 116% rise in funeral costs, while the overall cost of dying – which also includes the send-off and professional fees - has risen 3.8% in the past year, to £9,200.
Mark Screeton, SunLife’s CEO, commented: “It’s surprising to see, at a time when everything else is going up in price, that funeral costs have fallen for a second consecutive year. We’ve never witnessed this trend before in our almost two decades of research. With UK inflation hitting its highest rate in 40 years, this feels like a rare piece of financially positive news among all the other gloomy economic headlines.”
Although the cost of a basic funeral is lower than last year, it’s the other two elements – professional fees and the send-off – that have pushed up the total cost of dying. Hiring a professional to administer the estate has increased a significant 10.9% since the 2022 report, reaching an average £2,578. And the amount spent on the send-off – that’s optional extras, such as flowers, catering, and limousines – adds a further £2,669, up 7.4%.
